On 3 October 1934, by Open Competition, Hubbard joined the
Indian Civil Service and went on to become the last District Commissioner of the Punjab before
Indian independence in 1947. After that, he worked for the
British Council and then as Deputy Director of the National Union of Manufacturers. From 1960 until his death he worked as a freelance writer. Most of the novels feature a male protagonist (although in some, such as
Flush as May and
The Quiet River, the protagonist is a woman) and characters who in general are educated, articulate, and essentially amoral. They draw extensively on one or more of the author's interests and preoccupations, including country sports, small-boat
sailing,
folk religion, and the works of
William Shakespeare. Hubbard's novel
High Tide was adapted for television and broadcast in 1980 as part of the British
ITV network's "
Armchair Thriller" series. Hubbard was described in his obituary in
The Times as a "most imaginative and distinguished practitioner", writing with an "assurance and individuality of style and tone." He died on 17 March 1980 in Newton Stewart, Galloway. == Bibliography ==